Automatic adjusting pipe-wrench.



L. CAVANNA. AUTOMATIC ADJUSTING PIPE WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED dcT. 23.I913.

1,,138fl'28. Patented May 11, 1915.

awwewto-z a2 N w.

atrozun a LARRY caveman, or iterations, ,wnsr vmonvu.

ao'romarrc anms'rme rrrn-wzanncn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed October 23, 1913. Serial No. 796,945.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LARRY Graver INA, a subject of the King of Italy,res ding at Fairmont, in the county 0 Marion and State of West Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Auto maticAdjusting Pipe-Wrenches, and do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as art towhich it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to wrenches and more particularly to that classknown as pipe wrenches.

The principal object is to provide a pipe wrench which is extremelysimple in operation, and which is capable of easy and quick adjustmenton pipes of various sizes, and which may be quickly detached, the wrenchbeing so constructed that it may be operated with one hand.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a wrench of theclass specified which is simple, durable, -eflicient in operation, andinexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view which will become, apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully describedand claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which likecharacters of reference indicate like parts throughout the figures, ofwhich,

Figure 1 represents a side elevational view of the wrench, a portion ofthe handle being broken away, and Fig. 2 represents a view similar toFig. 1, the upper jaw member being shown in longitudinal section, and aportion of the handle bein broken away.

Referring more particular y to the drawing, the wrench comprises a fixedjaw member 5 formed on the enlarged lowerend of the handle 6, and amovable jaw 7 centrally pivoted with relation to the lower jaw by meansof a pin which passes through the walls 9 formed by a recess 10 out inthe upper jaw, and through a lug 11 formed on the lower end of handle 6,said lower end of the handle and a portion of the lower jaw beingembraced by walls 9. 1

The jaw 5 is formed on both sides thereof with enlarged portions 12which add strength, and a greater gripping surface to of my inventionwill enable others skilled in the the jaw, and said jaw is provided witha series of teeth 13 which co-act with teeth 14 formed on aw 7 forgripping pipes orpther pbjects, the series of teeth formed on each awhavmgtheir ends disposed at an angle one to the other.

A leaf spring 15 is secured by a screw 16 to the front end of the handleadjacent lug 11, and extends rearwardly over said lug and contacts atits rear end with the rear portion of what may be termed a bridge 17connecting walls 9 at the upper edges thereof. It will be understoodthat jaw 7 is preferably formed of a single piece of metal, as is alsothe handle and aw 5, although these parts may be assembled from variouspieces of material if so desired, without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

A lug 18 is formed on the upper edge of handle 6 rearwardly of jaw 7,and a spring actuated pawl 19 is pivoted thereon by 'means of a pin 20,the spring 21 which actuates said pawl having its ends seated in recesses in the handle 6, and in the stem 22 of the pawl. The rear edgesof Walls 9 are formed with teeth 23 and the pawl is adapted to benormally held in contact with the teeth by means of spring 21, the teethbeingso formed as to allow movement of the toothed portions 14 of jaw 7toward jaw 5, but to prevent an opposite movement of jaw 7 It will beseen by this construction,

that leaf spring 15 tends to-hold the jaws in contact with a pipe orother object (not shown), and that pawl 19 will counteract the tendencyof the jaws to separate as the wrench is being used.

The handle 6 has formed thereon a 'pair of guide plates 24 for guidingthe stem 22 of the pawl and for protecting spring 21. The upper rearface of bridge 17 is concaved as at 25 to form a thumb or finger hold.

The wrench handle may be grasped with one hand, portion 25 being engagedby the thumb while the pawl stem 22 is depressed by the heel of thethumb whereby a pressure on the upper rear portion of the upper jaw 7will cause the jaws to open so that the wrench may be adjusted on thepipe, and when it is desirable to unloosen the wrench, the pawl stem maybe depressed for disengaging the pawl with teeth 23 whereupon the wrenchmay be disengaged from the pipe.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention I maydesire what I claim as new to make such changes inthe construction,combination and arrangement of parts thereof, as donot depart from thespirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention and desire to secure byLetters-Patent is,

1. A pipe Wrench comprising a handle, a fixed jaw formed at the forwardend of the handle, a movable jaw pivoted to the fixed jaw having ratchetteeth on its inner end and provided with a seat for the point of thethumb when the handle is clasped in the hand, a spring arranged tonormally press the working endof the movablejaw toward the fixed jaw andthe thumb seat of said movable jaw away from the handle, and a springpawl pivoted to the handle and normally engaging the ratchet teeth ofmovable jaw to prevent the opening of said jaw by its spring, said pawlhaving its handle end located to receive the root or body of the thumbWhile the point of the thumb is-in engagement with the thumb seat of themovable jaw whereby all of the manual operations necessary for theadjustment and use of the wrench may be performed with one hand.

2. Apipe wrench comprising a handle, a fixed jaw at the forward endthereof projecting in opposite directions therefrom in approximately Tform, one of said projections being in the form of a pivot lug, amovable jaw centrally pivoted to said lug and formed fixed jaw, thebridge of said recessbeing formed with a seat to receive the point ofthe thumb of a hand grasping the handle and the movable jawhavingratchet teeth between the thumb seat and the handle, a leaf springsecured to the pivot lug forward of the pivot, passing around said lugand bearing outwardly against the inside of the bridge of the recess ofthe movable jaw at the thumbseat to normally press the working face ofsaid movable jaw toward that of the fixed jaw, and a spring pressed pawlpivoted to the wrench handle havingi'ts point normally pressed intoengagement with the ratchet teeth of the movable jaw to normally holdthe jaws from opening, the handle of the pawl being located in positionto receive the root or body of the thumb while the-point of the thumb isin engagement with the thumb seat of the movable jaw, whereby all of themanual operations necessary for the adjustment and use of the wrench maybe performed with one hand.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

LARRY CAVANNA. Witnesses: BENNY SCAGNELLI, VICTOR LE VELLE.

with a recess to receive the.

